The NHL trade market is starting to find its footing, and Wednesday’s chatter had a little bit of everything: a surprise possibility in Winnipeg’s Hellebuyck situation, a clean depth swap between Edmonton and Pittsburgh, and a first-goal moment for Gavin McKenna that came with a pretty good family punchline.
The most intriguing wrinkle came from the Hellebuyck sweepstakes, where the list of interested teams still appears to be evolving. David Pagnotta said the early names in the mix were Buffalo, Utah and Carolina, while San Jose seems inclined to wait things out. Now he’s wondering whether the Los Angeles Kings could jump in as a left-field contender, with internal questions about whether Darcy Kuemper can handle a full season helping fuel the idea.
Pagnotta also said Laferriere would likely be part of any package, and he floated the possibility of Carolina’s Alexander Nikishin being worked in if the talks ever turned into a three-team deal. Still, there are obvious hurdles.
The Kings don’t exactly look like a lock to contend, and Hellebuyck wants to win, which raises the obvious question of whether he’d agree to go there. Winnipeg, for its part, doesn’t seem in any rush.
Skinner and Stevenson are handling the crease, so the Jets can afford to let the situation breathe.
Edmonton and Pittsburgh, meanwhile, completed a move that looks far more straightforward. The Oilers sent defenceman Spencer Stastney to the Penguins in exchange for forward Filip Hallander, a trade that reads like a roster fix on both sides rather than the headline-grabber fans were bracing for.
For Edmonton, the logic is pretty clear. The team had been carrying eight defencemen, Stastney hadn’t played a game this season, and injuries have thinned out the forward group.
Hallander, a 6’2″ forward who makes less money, comes in after a strong season opener with Pittsburgh, where he posted a goal, two assists and a +4. He should get a legitimate crack at Edmonton’s bottom six.
Pittsburgh gets a useful piece back as well. Their blue line got thinner after Declan Carlile moved up alongside Erik Karlsson, and Stastney gives them another left-shot option.
He’ll likely sit as their No. 7, which is still a better spot than being Edmonton’s No. 8.
Bigger names like Poitras, Dach and Kent Johnson could still end up in the conversation, but this one was the tidy, sensible swap.
Then there was Gavin McKenna, who finally got the breakthrough he was chasing. He picked up his first NHL point and first NHL goal Tuesday night in a 5-4 overtime win over Nashville, and the best part of the story is that his parents had already flown back to Whitehorse after watching him go pointless in his first three games.
So they missed the goal in person and had to watch it on TV instead. McKenna laughed about it afterward and said they might need to stay home from now on. He also said he’s glad they’re proud of him and that he wouldn’t be here without them.
His teammates were plenty happy for him, too. Nylander described the goal as a bullet, top shelf, and Matthews said McKenna looks comfortable in the room and expects him to go on a tear now that the first one is out of the way. McKenna said he’s leaning on the veterans, living with Tavares and even having a sleepover at Matthews’ place, which he joked should turn into a weekly thing.
In Other News...
Hurricanes May Be Waiting On One Thing In Connor Hellebuyck Talks
Connor Hellebuycks name is still floating through the rumor mill, but the latest chatter suggests the market around the Jets goalie is narrowing in a hurry. Pierre LeBrun said on TSN 1050s OverDrive that Hellebuyck will not play for a Canadian team, which effectively takes the Edmonton speculation out of the picture and leaves the focus on suitors south of the border. The discussion from Jeff Marek and Greg Wyshynski also kept alive the idea of Hellebuyck simply staying put in Winnipeg, even if there is no real trade pressure pushing the situation forward right now.
The Carolina Hurricanes are still in the mix, and they remain interested enough to keep tabs on the situation, but they do not appear convinced the Jets can squeeze them into bidding higher. From Winnipegs side, that matters because it changes the shape of any negotiation without necessarily changing the destination list. For now, the real question is whether Carolina sees enough urgency to move or whether this stays one of those summer goalie sagas that lingers without reaching a clean finish. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Fans Have A Meaningful New Way To Back Adam Lowry
The Jets are giving fans another meaningful way to rally behind Adam Lowry and a cause close to the team this fall. Winnipeg will host its fifth annual Child Advocacy Game on Oct. 17, with the club again turning a home date into a fundraiser and awareness drive for the Toba Centre for Children & Youth, an organization that supports children and families affected by abuse and trauma.
Fans are being asked to wear blue, while merchandise and beverage sales at the game will help support the centres work. The Toba Centres team will also be around several October home games to share resources, and Lowry, one of the organizations ambassadors, will take part in the broader push around the event as the Jets continue blending hockey with a cause that has become a regular part of the seasons early rhythm. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Shake Up Lineup Vs Avalanche With One Notable Player Left Out
The Jets are making a few noticeable tweaks before facing the Avalanche, with changes coming throughout the bottom six and across the defense. Cole Koepke is set to make his season debut, while Salomonsson remains out of the lineup as Winnipeg continues to manage its depth pieces heading into a tough Western Conference test.
In goal, Stuart Skinner is getting the start after Clay Stevenson made his Jets debut Monday night. The more surprising roster note, though, is the healthy scratch status for Nino Niederreiter, a decision that adds a little more intrigue to how Winnipeg is trying to balance its forwards for this one. [Read more 🡒]